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Adopting Messaging Security Solutions

80 percent of companies and enterprises know that a threat of confidential data loss by insiders exists yet only 43 percent have enforced messaging security solutions that will prevent such leakage, says a benchmark study of AberdeenGroup, sponsored by six security providers.

As per the opinion of Mounil Patel, 'Information Security Research' Director, messaging security solutions can have several advantages for day-to-day operations while rendering an effective security posture to an organization. The study revealed that 15% of the respondents could reduce the requirements of security staffing, 15% could cut down staff for messaging operations and 12% could curtail capital requirements for messaging services all by implementing 'automated security products'.

The study further reveals that the majority of the IT organizations still consider 'messaging security' as an internal threat focused on stopping spam, malware and viruses creeping into corporate networks through e-mails. But the best companies also handle the risks associated with external information leaks. These companies also understand that messaging is moving beyond e-mail such as 'instant messaging' (IM) communications and web-based messaging also. These companies are proactive in implementing solutions that encompass the different messaging mediums to bring them under the protective garb of corporate security.

Talking about the potential risk, 91% of the companies think that virus and malware are reasons for high threat, while 86% think thinks that it is spam. Further, 72% view external tapping of confidential data as high threat yet only 25% have employed 'messaging encryption solutions' to lessen the threat.

Organizations need to inspect their 'messaging security plans' to make sure that their processes and technologies take care of not only the conventional inbound threat but outbound data leak dangers as well. They must also facilitate protection of sensitive data transmission against interception.

While updating security policy, companies should outline security policies and practices intelligible to all staff and not just IT employees. Teams from all departments - IT, Finance, HR- should estimate a reasonable impact and cost of a probable security failure. If 'messaging security solutions' are properly adopted and applied, they can benefit companies at the grassroots and protect their corporate systems.